Sit Like a Lady 2
Monotype, Oil, 21.5″ x 20″
We are taught to play roles every day, worrying about what we are supposed to do, and stressing about what every other person thinks of us. We are told what makes a lady, that it is something intangible, yet ever important. It lives in the way we speak, walk, and dress. I thought of my mother as this piece came to life, and she said, “sit like a lady.”
Sit Like a Lady is a visual metaphor for the practice of ‘wo+manspreading.’ This series portrays female figures in confident and powerful body positions, often associated with men. By portraying women in these ‘wide’ positions with dominant body language, I challenge the customary gender stereotypes of ‘a powerful position’ for a man being ‘a sexual signal position’ for a woman.
